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Plastic Surgery Department

MD Anderson’s Department of Plastic Surgery provides comprehensive services to cancer patients, as well as cutting-edge research to create the next generation of reconstructive surgery innovations.

Plastic surgery began at MD Anderson in 1988, when the first microsurgery team was established. The group gained departmental status six years later, and has continued to expand its disciplines. In 1996, our research interests turned to tissue engineering, with the creation of the Laboratory of Reparative Biology & Bioengineering.

The Department of Plastic Surgery has 16 full-time clinical faculty members, who handle at least 1,000 plastic and reconstructive surgery cases a year. Faculty members provide consultation and evaluation on an out-patient basis to assess post-treatment needs for cancer patients.

Researchers continue to enhance quality of life issues for cancer survivors by integrating knowledge from several scientific fields, including bioengineering, life sciences and clinical science. This work has shed new light on how biological mechanisms work at both the cellular and molecular level, which has led to the creation of innovative and cost-effective therapeutics, medical devices and clinical protocols for cancer-related deformities.